


whispered words

by skatzaa



Series: like little girls who've discovered a soul mate [2]
Category: Seven Kingdoms Trilogy - Kristin Cashore
Genre: F/F, Illusions to canon-typical acts by Cansrel, Mentions of Archer, Mentions of Brocker, Mentions of Cansrel, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 17:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11764392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skatzaa/pseuds/skatzaa
Summary: Fire and Liddy spend an afternoon together.





	whispered words

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this art](http://may12324.tumblr.com/post/124129258483/sketches-of-some-of-the-kiss-art-challenge) by [may12324](http://may12324.tumblr.com).
> 
> Can be seen as a continuation of the first fic in this series, _it is enough_ , but you don't have to read that first to understand this.

One day, after Fire had taken her leave of Lord Brocker’s house—and the questions that came from Archer and his father in regards to the identities of the men who had attempted to attack her the week before—she asked, “Liddy?” 

They were in Fire’s sitting room—Fire seated by the window, looking out onto the woods and barely resisting the urge to tear the bandages from her shoulders, while Liddy mended garments by the unlit fireplace. It was quiet, and unusually hot for early spring, and Fire could not stand to sit in this stifling stone house any longer. 

“Yes, my—” Liddy paused, for no longer than the length of a breath, and still Fire noticed, “Fire?” 

She knew it was simply that Liddy had not yet entirely adjusted to addressing Fire by her name, but Fire could not help the warmth that welled up within her at the thought of Liddy saying _my Fire_. 

Fire pushed the feeling in the direction of Liddy’s mind, wanting to share it. She glanced over her shoulder in time to catch the way Liddy ducked her head, bashful and pleased. It was wonderful to be reminded that there was good in this world, and that she was capable of inspiring feelings other than hatred in the people that surrounded her. 

Fire remembered then that she had meant to ask something, and so she said, “Would you do me the honor of joining me for a short walk?” 

Liddy’s entire countenance lit up with happiness, and she placed her mending on the arm of her chair. 

“It would be my honor,” Liddy said. 

They giggled quietly about nothing as they readied one another: Liddy helped Fire adjust her head scarf because she could not rotate her arms far enough to do it herself, and Fire pulled Liddy’s hair back in a simple, thick braid. It was a time consuming task, injured as she was, and only manageable when Liddy sat on a low stool at Fire’s knee, but Fire had found over this past month that she enjoyed being able to serve Liddy, even in a small way such as this. Though while in Cansrel’s household they could never be equals, Fire had found that it brought her great comfort when, upon occasion, she found herself able to do for Liddy what Liddy did every day for Fire. 

They wouldn’t go far—not if they wished to avoid Cansrel’s guards following them, but Fire and Liddy still dashed out of the great stone house as though they were about to set off on the grandest of adventures, perhaps to the sea or the mountains beyond King’s City. 

Fire led the way with Liddy on her heels. It was cooler, out in the open, and Fire turned her face into the breeze. In the moment it took to close her eyes she thought she might have seen the shocking brightness of Archer’s hair coming from the direction of Brocker’s house, but then Liddy laughed, and so Fire removed all thoughts of Archer from her mind. 

She took Liddy’s hand in hers, careful not to rotate her shoulder too far in any one direction, and together they ran. 

*

Later, their hands were still linked as they walked through the forest. In the northern Dells, where Cansrel’s and Lord Brocker’s lands were located, the world did not grow to be as vibrant every summer as it did in south, but with the sun shining on the new, green growth sprouting from every tree branch, Fire could almost picture what the south might be like. 

Liddy sang as they went, a happy tune about nothing at all, and it made Fire smile into the air around them. She felt radiant, and as light as the breeze that swept across their shoulders, but that did not excuse Fire from doing what she did next: she reached up with her free hand, bending forward at the waist so as to not hurt herself further, and she pulled off her scarf. Her hair tumbled down to rest against the back of her neck, as light as the rest of her. 

Liddy stopped singing. 

Immediately, Fire was stricken by her foolishness. They were out in the open, where any man or monster could see them, and she hadn’t even brought her bow, not that she could draw back the string with her current injuries. She reached to wrap her hair once more, but one hand was still held by Liddy and the shoulder of her other arm had borne the brunt of the men’s attack. She gasped as the healing cuts threatened to reopen and curled in on herself, sick with worry and pain. 

Liddy released her hand and reached for the scarf, which was tucked up against Fire’s stomach in her clenched fist. Liddy worked the scarf free and wound it around Fire’s hair once more, her movements sure and steady. When she finished, she said, “Perhaps we should return to your rooms, L- Fire.” 

Fire nodded, and with Liddy’s help she stood upright once more, borrowing Liddy’s strength. 

They were silent as they went, but halfway through their trip Liddy offered a feeling to Fire’s mind. Liddy couldn’t send thoughts or feelings in the way Fire did, but Fire was always aware of those around her, if their minds were opened or closed, and how their moods shifted. So she knew almost at once when Liddy’s quiet determination became something warmer, and softer, and she knew that it was meant for her. 

Fire breathed out and leaned further into Liddy’s side, more for comfort than for support. Liddy wasn’t angry, or afraid, or overcome with the type of mindless lust that affected so many men and women. She was simply Liddy, and Fire was simply Fire, and they shared their love between them as they walked. 

Fire knew this was love, in the way that she knew Cansrel’s praise for her growing control was love, and Brocker’s kind, sad smile was love, and Archer’s dedication to defending her was love. But unlike Cansrel this was healthy, and unlike Archer and Brocker, Liddy did not expect anything more than what Fire was able to give in return. 

None of Cansrel’s men gave them trouble upon their return, though one near the door eyed the pair a moment too long for Fire’s liking. Though Cansrel’s men were chosen for their strong wills—even with her hair loose, they would not touch her—his gaze made her shiver despite the warmth of the day. Should he let slip to Cansrel what he had seen, Fire much too close to a servant for propriety’s sake, with no one to oversee them together, Fire would not be able to prevent his words. Such news would be sure to put Cansrel in a foul mood in an instant, and while Cansrel would never intentionally hurt Fire, such courtesy rarely extended to the wellbeing of others. 

The only thing to do was continue on to Fire’s rooms, and so they did. Donal greeted Fire in his customary way on the stair and nodded briefly to Liddy, but Fire was not worried about Donal. Cansrel may have thought he could control him, but his loyalty had always lain with her. 

Liddy was the one to push open the door to Fire’s rooms, and she eased it closed behind them again. Fire stepped into her sitting room and then stood, holding herself still, because she was unsure as to what she should do. 

The walk had been wonderful, and Liddy’s feelings were still blurring delightfully into Fire’s own, but she had been so _foolish_ to do such a thing as she had done. 

Fire felt a hand press into the small of her back and fought her instinct to flinch away, because she knew it was only Liddy. 

“M- Fire,” Liddy said, her voice low and close, “It’s alright. Neither of us were hurt.” 

Of course, she thought, trying not to project that as well. Her own feelings must also be bleeding into Liddy’s. 

The hand on her back moved, sliding lightly up her spine, careful to miss the bandages on her shoulders. Liddy stopped at the base of Fire’s skull, fingertips resting just beneath the edge of her scarf. She asked, “May I?” 

Fire nodded, hardly more than a dip of her chin. 

Liddy pulled the scarf free, letting Fire’s hair fall. She sighed at the sight, breath hot on Fire’s skin, and she let Fire feel the awe she always experienced when she saw Fire’s hair uncovered. Awe, and a sort of longing that made Fire want to shine as brightly as she could, rather than hide herself away in shame. 

Fire reached out and took Liddy’s hand in her own, bringing it to her lips. She kissed the fine bones of Liddy’s fingers, the skin just above her knuckles, the soft space beside the joint of her thumb. 

Liddy moved until she stood before Fire, smiling and effortlessly happy. Fire met her gaze and smiled back. Liddy shook her head, fond, and said, “Come. Let me change those bandages.” 

Fire allowed herself to be pulled further into the room toward the chair they had sat at earlier so she could braid Liddy’s hair. The collar of her dress was rather wide and it provided enough room for Liddy to reapply bandages without Fire undressing. They were quiet as Liddy worked, and it mattered not whether the world outside of that room had disappeared entirely or if it was loudly falling to pieces at that very moment, because no sound made it through the thick stone walls. 

When she finished, Liddy came to stand before Fire once more. She placed a hand at the spot where Fire’s neck and shoulder met, so Fire moved her own two to hold Liddy’s forearm and waist. 

Liddy ducked, and Fire closed her eyes as Liddy brushed a kiss against her forehead. She stood, sliding her hand around the curve of Liddy’s elbow and smiling already, and Liddy delivered another kiss to the tip of her nose. 

Fire leaned in, eyes still closed, aiming for Liddy’s mouth. When she hit Liddy’s cheek instead, Liddy laughed, loud and bright, and wrapped her arm around the back of Fire’s neck, still avoiding any especially sensitive skin. 

_Shush_ , Fire thought at her, not truly meaning it. Liddy laughed again. 

Then Liddy came even closer, and moved so she could curl her fingers in Fire’s soft hair. Fire brought both hands up to cradle Liddy’s beautiful, wondrous face between her palms. She could not imagine a single thing to say or think that could express exactly how she felt in this moment, and so she pressed her lips to Liddy’s. Liddy pressed back, and Fire’s heart expanded, basking in the moment of freedom being allotted to her and imploring it to last forever. 

Spring and summer would bring change, as they always did, as well as the possibility of Cansrel, but for now they would stand here in this stifling stone house, trading kisses and whispered words, and Fire would continue to feel as though she was running free through the woods, Liddy’s hand in hers and Liddy’s heart beating in time with her own.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are always appreciated but never required.
> 
> Read on,  
> Skats


End file.
